


stay cool it's just a kiss (oh, why you gotta be so talkative?)

by TooGucci4You



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Fluff, this is so gay and I'm not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 14:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10595691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooGucci4You/pseuds/TooGucci4You
Summary: Somehow, Trini finds herself on her back, chest aching, staring up at the concerned face of Kimberly Hart and the smug one of Zack TaylororTrini gets decked by Kim on accident and Kim takes care of her





	

**Author's Note:**

> hello my pretties i've fallen straight into trimberly hell
> 
> someone arrest me and take away my computer
> 
> if you're looking for the ~enhanced experience~, listen to Talk Too Much by COIN, which is where the title of this came from

A dull _thud_ resounded through the training pit as Trini felt a fist connect squarely with her chest, knocking her off her feet and sending her skidding backwards, her back slamming into the sandy ground. Her breath left her chest in a huff, and she lay stunned for a moment.

“Ow.” She growled out harshly, her breathing still ragged and labored. Eyes trained on the distant cave ceiling in a glare, she scowled even deeper when Zack’s smug face popped into view. He let out a low whistle, a wide grin stretched across his face.

“Damn crazy girl, she got you _good_ ,” Zack laughed, eyes sparkling as he smirked down at her. Trini’s pout intensified, and she crossed her arms over her aching chest, wincing as she did so. She continued pouting until a new face came to hover over her, one much more pleasant than Zack’s.

Kimberly leaned over Trini, smiling apologetically down at her with a soft, worried look; the kind of look that made Trini’s insides do somersaults.

Kim tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you okay, T? I didn’t mean to punch that hard.” She looked genuinely sorry, and Trini felt her face flush. The reason that punch had connected at all was because _maybe_ Trini had a crush the size of a continent on Kimberly, and _maybe_ she had gotten distracted by the way Kimberly’s shoulders and biceps had flexed so smoothly beneath her tanktop.

Maybe.

So when Kim offered her a hand to get up with, Trini had to force herself not to jump to grab it immediately. Instead she offered Kim a cool once over and an eyeroll, but she could tell from Kimberly’s amused smile that she didn’t take it to heart.

When Trini gripped her hand and started to get up, however, she decided to exact a little revenge. Sitting up halfway, Trini suddenly threw all of her weight downward, causing Kim to stumble forward. She lifted her leg then, planting her heel in Kimberly’s stomach and sending her flipping over her body with a hard kick. Kimberly suddenly found herself in a position that mirrored Trini’s, flat on her back with the wind knocked out of her.

Trini scrambled upright and pounced on Kim, sitting astride her triumphantly and effectively pinning her down. She smirked down at Kimberly, who glowered at her. Her short hair had come loose from behind her ears, falling across her sweaty forehead, and she blew them away with a frustrated puff of air.

“Gotcha,” Trini kept her smirk fixed in place as Kimberly made a face at her.

“No fair,” she whined, drawing out the ‘r’ sound like a child.

Trini raised an eyebrow, “How is it not fair?”

“You tricked me!”

“Ironic coming from you, don’t you think?” Trini sniffed haughtily, poking at Kimberly’s chest. A slight blush that had nothing to do with exertion colored Kim’s face, and she had the good grace to at least look a little guilty.

“You’re still on about that? I said I was sorry! What more do you want?” Trini pretended to think about the question, tapping her chin with a hum.

“I was thinking a Shakespearean soliloquy proclaiming your apologies, but I’ll accept a ‘Say Anything…’ style boombox-outside-my-window one too.”

“Any song requests?” Kim asked, rolling her eyes with a smile.

Trini laughed. “Surprise me.”

“Well to do that, you kinda have to let me get up first.” Kimberly glanced pointedly to where Trini still straddled her hips, and immediately Trini felt a blush flare up to her cheeks as she realized the position she was still in.

Cursing quietly, she scrambled to her feet, pulling Kimberly up with her and dusting her off sheepishly.

“Sorry, sorry, my bad I totally just, ugh…” Trini raised her arm to scratch at the back of her neck awkwardly, grimacing as it sent a lance of pain through her chest. Lightning-quick, Kim was peering at her in concern before Trini could pass it off as a yawn.

“What’s wrong? Is it your chest? God, I shouldn’t have hit you so hard, I’m so sorry Trini. Normally you dodge stuff like that so easily so I didn’t actually think I’d hit you with it and—”

“Kim!” Trini cut her rambling off, the side of her mouth curling up a little. “It’s okay,” she let out a small, breathy laugh. “It’s my fault, really. I shoulda been paying attention. I was just uh, distracted today, I guess.” She pretended not to see Zack wiggling his eyebrows out of the corner of her eye. “It’s no big deal, really. Just a little sore.” That was a blatant lie, Trini’s chest hurt like a _bitch,_  but there was no way she was gonna let Kimberly, or any of the others, who were watching them curiously, albeit a bit awkwardly, from the other side of clearing, know that. Kimberly didn’t look convinced.

“Well, I’m still worried. Why don’t you come back to my place and I can patch you up? Plus we have that biology test on Monday, and we both know we aren’t ready for it.” When Trini hesitated, Kimberly spoke up again, “Oh, and my parents are out tonight, so they won’t bother us or anything.”

Trini let out a resigned sigh, resisting the urge to glare at Zack who was trying to stifle his laughter now, and smiled despite herself. “Alright, alright, you win. Whisk me away to your castle, princess.” Kim stuck her tongue out and turned to Jason.

“We done for the day then, Jace?” She asked sweetly. Jason blinked once, bewildered by the exchange that had just happened.

“I, uh, yeah, we are. You and Trini were the last pair to spar. Good work then, I guess? See y’all tomorrow.” Oblivious to (or ignoring) Jason’s confused expression, Kimberly held her hand out to Trini, wiggling her fingers in invitation.

“Your chariot awaits, m’lady,” she said, putting on a bad British accent. Trini wrinkled her nose, but took her hand nonetheless.

“Ugh, Kim, your British accent is terrible.”

“Aw c’mon, it’s not that bad!” Kim pouted, waving goodbye to the boys and tugging Trini towards the water, gently so she wouldn’t hurt her chest more.

“No, it definitely is.” Trini laughed, catching Zack’s eye as she turned to wave too. He smirked, knowing and smug, and threw her a thumbs up. She turned her head away and gave him a not-so-subtle middle finger, glancing back apologetically at Billy’s scandalized gasp and mouthing a ‘sorry’.

One last glare at Zack and a nod to Jason, and she allowed Kimberly to pull her along towards the pool. The sounds of their playful bickering faded away, and the tell-tale splash announced their exit.

“Okay, _tell me_ I’m not the only one who thought that was weird.” Jason said, turning to Billy and Zack. Zack shook his head.

“Oh no dude, trust me, it’s not just you. I have never seen two people with more sexual tension than our girls.” Zack replied casually, scooping his backpack off the ground. “10 bucks says the next time we see them they’re dating.”

Billy, ever the voice of reason, gave him a disapproving look. “I’m not sure it’s very nice to bet on our friends and their romantic situations.”

“Yeah, Billy’s right.” Jason put his arm around Billy’s shoulders, giving him a reassuring smile.

Zack was silent for a moment. “20.”

“Deal.”

Billy just sighed.

 

* * *

 

“Alright, take your shirt off.” Kimberly commanded, brandishing an ice pack. Trini blinked, her cheeks coloring slightly. How she found herself standing in the middle of Kimberly Hart’s room, which was pretty and pink and impeccably neat, being told to take her shirt off was beyond Trini.

Oh yeah, she had gotten decked while she was busy ogling Kim. By Kim.

Right.

When she hesitated, Kimberly snorted. “Trini, if you want me to help you out here, you gotta take your shirt off. C’mon, before this thing melts.” She took a step closer, plucking pointedly at the collar of Trini’s gray t-shirt. Trini felt her blush deepen, and she cursed her cheeks before grabbing at the hem of her shirt and pulling it up over her head.

“Plus, this is just a clever way for me to get you naked.” Kimberly added as Trini tugged it off, causing her to splutter and flail, accidentally tearing the hem of her shirt in the process.

“Oops,” Kim giggled, eyes sparkling in a way that made it really hard for Trini to focus on being mad at her. Or anything else, really. Her laughter faded quickly though as she caught sight of the bruise on Trini’s chest. Her breath hitched slightly, and she looked so guilty and apologetic that it made Trini ache.

To be fair though, it was a really bad bruise. It started right in the middle of her sternum, discolored with purple and green, and extended outwards over and along her collarbone, all the way down to the valley of her chest, disappearing below her black sports bra.

“Jesus, Trin, I’m so sorry…” Kimberly’s voice was tight, and Trini leaped into action (metaphorically, at least), when her eyes began to look glassy.

“Now don’t start the waterworks on me, Kim,” Trini teased gently, tapping under her chin to bring her gaze up. “This really isn’t your fault. I mean, _technically_ you were the one to punch me, but like I said, I shoulda dodged it. My bad.” Kimberly didn’t look completely convinced, but she smiled regardless, sniffing slightly and discreetly wiping at her eyes.

“I guess. Come here and sit down,” she gestured to her bed, and Trini sat down obediently, propped up against Kimberly’s headboard. “Okay, now this is gonna be a little—”

“COLD!” Trini screeched as Kimberly pressed the ice pack to her chest lightly, squirming and scrunching her nose up. Kim laughed.

“I tried to warn you!” She laughed again when Trini made a face at her. “Hold still, you’ll get used to it if you just keep it there.” Reluctantly, Trini stopped trying to twist away from the ice pack, and she grumbled quietly with a wince as Kim smiled and pressed the ice pack a little more firmly to her sternum.

Slowly, her face untwisted and she let out a sigh of relief as the cold numbed her hurt chest and soothed the sharp pain to a dull, manageable ache.

“There,” Kim gave her a soft smile, the kind that Trini liked to pretend were only for her. (They totally were). “Isn’t that better?” Biting down her pride, Trini nodded, and Kim looked triumphant, if a little smug.

She put Trini’s hand on the frozen gel pack, and had her hold is as she got up to rummage around in her bag for something. Trini watched curiously, but let out a dramatic groan when Kimberly turned back to her holding a red binder and a textbook with the word ‘BIOLOGY’ emblazoned across the cover, along with a picture of a cheetah. She threw her head back, banging it on the headboard.

“End me now.” She moaned despairingly, earning herself an eyeroll when Kim flopped down on the bed next to her. “Punch me again, but this time in the face. Maybe I’ll get a concussion and I won’t have to take the test.”

“Calm down, drama queen. It’s just biology.” Kim gave her a half-hearted glare, and Trini smirked back.

“Too bad we don’t have chemistry together instead.” It took Kimberly a moment, but when she got the joke she groaned and shook her head.

“You’re actually terrible.”

Trini cackled uncontrollably and earned a pillow to the face.

 

* * *

 

“What’s the enzyme that unwinds DNA during replication?”

“Uh… Topoisomerase?”

“Nope, that’s the one that keeps it from getting tangled.”

“Oh. Helicase then?”

“Yep.”

“Rad.” Trini fist pumped from where she was sprawled out on Kimberly’s bed, wearing one of the other girl’s soft t-shirts that was way too big for her. Next to her was the now-melted ice pack, two grease-stained paper plates, and an empty Monster can.

(“Ugh, how do you drink that crap, T?” Kimberly asks, looking disdainfully at the black can in her hand. “Shit’s like battery acid.”

Trini shrugs. “Keeps me going, I don’t get a ton of sleep.” She tips her head back, taking another sip of the bright green liquid and grimaces. “I’ll give it to you though, it _is_ kinda like battery acid.”)

It had been three hours since they started studying, with a 30 minute pizza break in between in which Trini sent a quick text to her mom telling her she’d be sleeping over, not bothering to check for a reply, and Trini felt only slightly more confident in her biology abilities.

Because let’s be real, when was she ever gonna need to know how to replicate DNA? That’s right, never.

On the bright side, her bruise had already begun to heal a little, thanks to her Ranger powers. The purple lines spidering out from the sides had receded a bit, the mark mostly concentrated on her sternum now.

“Okay,” Trini sighed, throwing an arm over her eyes. “I’m done for now. It’s Saturday night and we’re being losers studying for biology.” Kimberly didn’t even try to argue, her eyes had glazed over with boredom back during RNA to DNA conversion. She snapped the book shut and pushed her neatly written notes to the side, flopping down onto her back with her head on Trini’s stomach.

Trini grunted slightly at the impact, but felt her heart start beating faster as the feeling of Kimberly’s warm weight settled into her stomach. She held her breath for a moment, praying that Kim couldn’t hear the sound of her heart thundering in her chest. Her prayer went unnoticed, however, and she cursed herself for all the times she skipped Sunday church with her family.

Kimberly turned her head so her ear was pressed to Trini’s stomach, giving her a curious look from sparkling doe eyes.

“I can hear your heartbeat, Trini. It’s pretty fast. You okay?”

“Yeah!” Trini gave a strained laugh. “Just a side effect of having a pretty girl near me is all.” She mentally slapped herself, she had definitely _not_ given those words permission to leave her mouth. Kim quirked her mouth, giving her an unreadable look, before sitting up on her elbows to climb closer to Trini’s face.

She tilted her head like a curious puppy, and leaned closer to Trini’s face. Trini felt her cheeks flame, and was convinced Kim could feel the heat radiating from her. If she did, she said nothing.

“‘Pretty girl’, huh?” Kimberly’s voice was soft and airy, and Trini felt a traitorous shiver skitter down her spine at the feeling of her breath brushing over her lips. “You think I’m pretty, Trin?”

At a loss for words, for once in her life, Trini licked her lips nervously and opened her mouth to speak, hoping something stupid didn’t come out. “I-I mean… yeah…” Good one, Trini. Real smooth. Her voice was breathy, pitched a few octaves too high. Infatuated. And then Kim was leaning in, closer and closer until…

“I think you’re pretty too, Trini.” Kimberly pulled back, a sweet, unapologetic smile on her face. Trini’s eyes snapped open, her mouth hanging half-open like an idiot.

“Wait… what?!” Trini exclaimed, unable to help herself. She sat up quickly, ignoring the twinge from her chest, and watched as Kimberly rose gracefully from the bed and made her way over to the laptop that sat at her desk. She spared her a glance over her shoulder.

“Something the matter, T?” She asked, innocent and clueless. But Trini didn’t miss the smirk that curled at the sides of her mouth, and it dawned on her that maybe, just maybe, Kimberly was playing with her. And maybe she wanted to kiss her too.

Trini shook her head slightly, ridding herself of the thought. No. Kimberly Hart was not into girls, and definitely not into Trini, her ill-tempered best friend. She was reading too much into this. Maybe. She couldn’t quite be sure.

When she didn’t respond, Kim’s smirk just widened a little as she turned back to her laptop, plugging in a speaker and clicking up a Spotify window.

“Care for a dance?”

Trini stared at her incredulously. “A… dance?” She repeated slowly, looking skeptical. “You’re asking me, the girl you utterly decked earlier and who is constantly in a bad mood, to dance?” Kim pretended to think about it for a moment, then shrugged.

“Mmm yep.” She smiled brightly. “I mean, you did say you wanted a boombox-outside-your-window apology, but we’re not at your house, and I don’t own a boombox, so this’ll have to do. Plus I see right through your tough girl facade. I know you’re really just a softie.” Trini let out a mock-scandalized gasp.

“Kimberly Hart, are you really insinuating that I am, in fact, _not_ a cold-hearted bitch?!”

“Sure am. Now get up, I’ve got a really good song.” Trini gave one last eye roll, just for good measure, but hauled herself to her feet regardless.

“Alright, I’m up. What’s this ‘really good song’ you’re about to make me dance to?” With an over-dramatic flourish of her hand, Kimberly clicked the play button.

Immediately, Trini stiffened and her eyes went wide as the opening notes to COIN’s “Talk Too Much” blasted through the speakers. Kimberly had specifically chosen this song to dance to. With Trini.

Before she had the chance to psychoanalyze her and the song choice any further though, Kimberly grabbed her hand and pulled her carefully towards her, being aware of her chest, and swayed them  both to the upbeat rhythm. And as if this wasn’t already enough, Kimberly opened her mouth to sing when it got to the chorus, and Trini was impressed she didn’t implode from gay-ness right then and there. While she didn’t think anyone had ever died from being too gay, there was a first for everything.

“ _You know I talk, too much_ ,” Kim’s voice was amazing, smooth and high like snow. “ _Honey, come put your lips on mine and shut me up_.” And she just looked so happy, so much like she was enjoying just being in the moment with Trini, dancing around her room like an idiot, that Trini couldn’t help but smile and join in.

“ _Stay cool, it’s just a kiss, oh, why you gotta be so talkative?_ ” Trini continued for her, rewarded with a thrilled look from Kim. They sang the next verse together, and the next, and the next, until they were belting out the entire song and twirling around hand-in-hand in Kimberly’s room.

“ _I talk too much, we talk too much_.” They finished, looking at each other, standing close, and just like that, Kimberly kissed her. No fanfare, no big lead up, no dramatic, romance movie cliché where they realized they loved the other, it just happened.

The feeling was anything but simple, though.

Trini felt like someone had just lit a firecracker in her stomach, seeing sparks leaping behind her closed eyes, and felt lightning judder down her spine, into her blood and filling her veins with electricity. Her head spun at the taste of Kimberly’s soft lips on her own, and she felt dizzy, but not in the bad way. The way you felt after drinking with friends, not enough to get drunk, but pleasantly tipsy.

Kim sighed against her mouth, bringing her hands up to tangle in Trini’s dark brown hair and pressing them closer, worrying her bottom lip gently between her teeth. Trini whined softly at the feeling of smooth teeth scraping bluntly across her lip, and heard Kim’s sharp intake of breath at the sound. One of her hands was clutching tightly at Kimberly’s pink sweatshirt, the other wound around the back of her neck.

They kissed deeply for a few more moments, reveling in the taste of one another, before, regrettably, Trini felt her chest tighten with the need for air and she broke away, panting slightly and feeling dazed. She saw her expression mirrored on Kimberly’s face as she rested her forehead against hers, having to lean down a little, and they smiled dopily at one another.

“Wow.” Was all Trini could say. Kimberly laughed breathlessly.

“Yeah, wow.”

“That was pretty intense, you been thinking about doing that?” Trini teased.

“Only since the day we met.” Kimberly confessed, flicking her eyes away for a moment in embarrassment. Trini was momentarily taken aback.

“Huh. That makes two of us then.” She grinned as Kim raised her eyes to meet hers again, sparkling hopefully. They stared at each other for a moment longer, just enjoying how close they were, before Trini cleared her throat.

“So uh, I know we’re supposed to be studying and all, but I was thinking…”

“Wanna make out some more instead?” Kimberly asked, seemingly reading Trini’s mind.

“Oh hell yeah.”

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t easy for the two of them. Once the initial giddiness had faded, they had had a serious talk about where they were want what they wanted. They agreed that yes, they were dating (Trini still felt a little thrill whenever she thought about it), but it didn’t have to be completely public. Trini refused to tell her parents, not yet at least, and Kimberly didn’t push it.

But when they arrived at school Monday morning, and Trini instinctively tensed at the thought of walking down those halls full of hostile glares, Kimberly slipped her hand into hers and Trini felt herself relax, if only slightly.

Regardless, she raised her chin and walked confidently through the doors, ignoring the looks and whispers they garnered from the people they passed, all staring that their intertwined fingers and how close they were walking.

She also pointedly ignored how Jason reluctantly passed Zack a $20 bill when they passed them on their way to biology, going to take a test that they really should have studied harder for.

**Author's Note:**

> a little biology lesson for y'all in there, courtesy of my own biology class
> 
> its 2 am and this is so gay but i hope you enjoyed


End file.
